Mom's Pecan Cinnamon Buns
These were the Cinnamon Buns that Mom made when I was a kid. They were one of the best memories of my childhood.
These were the Cinnamon Buns that Mom made when I was a kid. They were one of the best memories of my childhood.
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup pecans
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/4 cup dark corn syrup
- 1 pkg. dry yeast or 2 cakes fresh yeast
- 1 cup lukewarm milk
- 2 eggs, well-beaten
- 3 1/2 cup enriched flour
- 1/4 cup shortening (part butter for better flavor)
- butterscotch mixture: ( mom did not use)
- Carbohydrate 50.9221214176968 g
- Cholesterol 81.3916666666667 mg
- Fat 34.1725311138876 g
- Fiber 1.4466597572392 g
- Protein 4.92728541713597 g
- Saturated Fat 19.6923823613501 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (125g)
- Sodium 1401.67557279936 mg
- Sugar 49.4754616604576 g
- Trans Fat 2.40998361124982 g
- Calories 521 calories
Step-by-step
- Crumble yeast in mixing bowl.
- Stir in lukewarm milk, sugar and salt.
- Let stand until the yeast is dissolved.
- Stir in well-beaten eggs.
- Add half of the flour.
- Beat until mixture drops in sheets from spoon.
- Stir in shortening.
- Stir in remaining flour with hands, adding just enough to make a soft dough.
- Knead until smooth and elastic.
- Round up and place in greased bowl.
- Cover with cloth and let rise in warm place until double, about one hour.
- Punch down and let rise again until almost double, about 45 min.
- Roll into a rectangle 1/4 inch thick and twice as long as it is wide.
- Brush rectangle with soft butter and sprinkle with 1/4 cup sugar mixed with 1 tsp. cinnamon.
- Roll up, then pinch to seal.
- Prepare Butterscotch Mixture:( Mom did not do)
- Melt butter, add brown sugar, and dark corn syrup.
- Heat to dissolve sugar.
- Sprinkle with pecans and raisins.
- Pour this mixture in bottom of greased baking pan; then cut 1-inch slices of rolled up dough and place cut side up on top of the mixture.
- Let rise about 30 minutes or double in size.
- Bake in moderate oven (375ºF) for 25-30 minutes.
- Turn out on rack or cookie sheet immediately.
Yeast drives the structural integrity of enriched doughs by producing carbon dioxide trapped by gluten networks. Lukewarm milk between 105 degrees Fahrenheit and 110 degrees Fahrenheit activates this fermentation without denaturing the fungi. Enriched fats like butter coat the flour proteins, shortening gluten strands to yield a tender crumb rather than a tough, bread-like chew. Over-incorporating flour during hand-kneading introduces excess density, destroying that delicate, soft interior texture.
Judging Doneness Visually
Visual cues replace thermometers when assessing baked cinnamon buns. Watch for the edges of the dough to pull slightly away from the pan sides at the 25-minute mark. Press a finger gently into the center of a bun; the indentation should spring back slowly rather than holding a deep impression or feeling completely firm. Invert the pan immediately onto a rack after baking to prevent the caramelized brown sugar and corn syrup glaze from setting permanently against the metal.
- Pale, gummy centers indicate under-baking or an initial oven temperature below 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Hard, dry rolls result from excessive flour additions during the final kneading stage.
- Burnt bottom pecans signal a pan that absorbs heat too quickly; switch to light-colored aluminum baking vessels.
